Avvaiyār

(3,490 words)

Avvaiyār (also known as Avvai and Auvaiyār) is revered as a poet, moral philosopher, saint, folkloric heroine, and an embodiment of Tamil culture and identity. Over the centuries, a number of literary works, diverse in both style and content, and spanning several centuries, have been ascribed to her. Therefore it is not surprising that her depiction in mythic narratives, folklore, and popular culture are equally complex.